I’m also confused why you wouldn’t ask your GC for help, coming from such a great school. Definitely talk to him!
I’ll be able to talk with my counselor in August since we’re on summer break currently; thats why i want to try to figure out a lot on my own @newjerseygirl98 @2muchquan @AroundHere @yikesyikesyikes
You still need to run the FAFSA4caster and see what it says. That will determine whether you are likely to qualify for need-based aid at private colleges and will affect the advice you get regarding affordability.
@TomSrOfBoston suggested “directional” Illinois universities, but given the problems IL is having right now funding its colleges, you will probably want directional universities in neighboring states on your list as well. Your regional tuition compact is called MSEP, and the website is: http://msep.mhec.org/
You need to read the details carefully on the different schools’ websites and see which schools on the list give MSEP discounts to all students, because if they are only giving to the top X%, it is less certain that you will get that discount and you will need more safety schools on your list. If you cannot tell from the school website, email admissions at the school you are interested in and ask for their policies in awarding MSEP discounts and what the current discount is.